Product Reviewed: Ada Twist, Scientist, by Andrea Beaty and David Roberts
Age Range: 3-6 year olds (with an adult reading aloud).
Star Rating: 3.5 / 5 stars
The Good: Cleverly written and beautifully illustrated picture book with a female protagonist who has an insatiable desire to find answers to all her questions.
The Bad: This book includes disciplinary methods (being sent to the Thinking Chair) which some families might not be comfortable with.
The Verdict: This is a delightful book that that challenges stereotypes (gender and race) and encourages kids (and parents) to think, question, apply scientific reasoning, and follow their dreams.
I’ve been meaning to write a review of this book for AGES – ever since my daughter Bumble Bee received it as a birthday present when she turned four. It’s a book I’m proud to have on our bookshelf. It challenges the stereotypes of what it is to be a ‘good kid’ and what it looks like to be a ‘good scientist’.
Our review of Ada Twist, Scientist
This is one of those books that’s cleverly written, beautifully illustrated and a delight to read aloud.
The book follows the life of young Ada Marie Twist, who is so full of questions, that her parents struggle to keep up answers. When Ada is presented with a particularly puzzling (and smelly) problem, she experiments and uses scientific reasoning to try and figure it out, leaving chaos in her wake. Clearly overwhelmed, her parents send Ada to the Thinking Chair to consider the mess that she’s made. But Ada uses the thinking chair to do just that – think, think, and think some more! Her thinking ends up making an even bigger mess, until her parents realise that Ada’s not naughty, just ‘curious’, and they vow to work together to figure out the answers to Ada’s endless questions.
By the end of the book, Ada doesn’t ever actually discover the answer to her particularly puzzling and smelly problem (although there are clues that might help the reader to work it out themselves). But finding the answer to the problem isn’t really what this book is about – it’s about the process that Ada goes through to come closer to the answer: it’s the thinking, asking, testing and eliminating that makes Ada such a great scientist.
I love that Ada’s parents, whilst initially over-whelmed, come to realise that their passionate daughter is not naughty after all! They come to accept their daughter for who she is, and support her in her questions to find the answers to everything.
I also absolutely love that Ada is both female and dark-skinned. We need more diversity in children’s books, and I love supporting books that feature diverse protagonists and role-models that break stereotypes.
What my 7 year old daughter thinks
I really like this book. I think this is a great book for kids who want to be scientists.”
Where to buy Ada Twist, Scientist (Note: affiliate links*)
You can buy copies online from Amazon.com
(for the US), Amazon.co.uk
(for the brits) and Book Depository (for Aussies and other countries). You might also be able to buy a copy at your local bookstore (or perhaps you could ask them to order one in for you).
Other Key Features {that might be handy to know}
- Written by Andrea Beaty, illustrated by David Roberts. Published in 2016 by Abrams Books for Young Readers.
- It is the third book of it’s kind by these author and illustrator, following Iggy Peck, Architect and Rosie Revere, Engineer.
- The hardcover is approximatley 24 x 28.5 x 1cm.
- It’s also available for instant download on Kindle.
You can find more of our science book reviews & gift recommendations here, including book reviews of:
- 11 Experiments that Failed, by Jenny Offill & Nancy Carpenter
- Sticker Dolly Dressing Dream Jobs, by Emily Bone and Steven Wood (Usborne Activities).
- Ivy & Bean Break The Fossil Record, Annie Barrows and Sophie Blackall
Have you read any other books that feature science-loving girl protagonists? I’d love to hear about them!
Disclaimer: My youngest daughter received this book as a gift from a friend. This post is not sponsored, and we were under no obligation to write this review. All opinions are my (or my kids’) own. I have included some affiliate links in this post. An affiliate link means I may earn referral / advertising fees if you make a purchase through my link, without any extra cost to you. Referral / advertising fees are one of the ways I can keep this blog afloat. Thank you for your support.